Singapore stocks end almost flat before Chinese New Year; STI inches up 0.02%

Across the broader market, gainers outnumber decliners 294 to 197, with 765.9 million securities worth S$954.9 million traded

Local shares ended almost flat on Monday (Feb 16) ahead of the Chinese New Year break, as data showed that the Republic’s key exports grew a slower-than-expected 9.3 per cent year on year in January.

The benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) inches up 0.02 per cent, or 0.8 point, to 4,938.58. Meanwhile, the iEdge Singapore Next 50 Index fell 0.8 per cent, or 11.92 points, to 1,501.60.

Across the broader market, gainers outnumbered decliners 294 to 197, with 765.9 million securities worth S$954.9 million traded.

Among STI constituents, Jardine Matheson Holdings (JMH) led the gainers, rising 2.5 per cent, or US$1.94, to US$78.14.

The worst performer among the STI constituents was Singtel, which declined 1.4 per cent or S$0.07 to S$4.84.

The three local banks delivered a mixed performance. DBS slipped 0.3 per cent or S$0.17 to finish at S$56.89, OCBC ended flat at S$21.11, and UOB was down 0.2 per cent or S$0.08 at S$38.39.

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On the iEdge Singapore Next 50 Index, the best performer was China Aviation. It closed 4.5 per cent or S$0.08 higher at S$1.84.StarHub was the biggest decliner, dropping 2.7 per cent, or S$0.03, to S$1.10.

This came amid data released by Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) showing that Singapore’s non-oil domestic exports (NODX) extended December’s 6.1 per cent expansion but fell short of Bloomberg’s 12 per cent estimate.

The increase was driven mainly by electronics shipments, supported by strong artificial intelligence (AI)-related demand and a low base effect.

Commenting on the outlook, RHB Group chief economist Barnabas Gan said Singapore’s manufacturing and trade sectors are expected to remain firm, underpinned by resilient external demand and an improving global outlook.

However, he cautioned that escalating geopolitical tensions and the risk of an AI-driven market correction could weigh on trade momentum in 2026.

“We remain cautiously optimistic on Singapore’s NODX performance for the year ahead. For 2026, we keep our full-year NODX forecast at 3 per cent, in line with official’s projection range of 2 to 4 per cent,” he added.

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